Washington, Jul 30: A US federal court has sentenced an Indian national to one day in prison, imposed a USD 1,000 fine, and ordered his deportation after he pleaded guilty to participating in a visa fraud scheme involving staged armed robberies.
Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced by a federal district court in Boston on Wednesday for his role in a conspiracy that staged armed robberies at convenience stores and fast-food outlets to facilitate fraudulent immigration applications.
According to US prosecutors, Patel was among 11 individuals who pleaded guilty in June 2026 in connection with the scheme.
Court documents state that the conspiracy, led by Rambhai Patel, began in March 2023 and involved staging armed robberies at at least six convenience stores, liquor shops and restaurants in Massachusetts and other locations.
The staged incidents were allegedly designed to allow store clerks to falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes while applying for U non-immigrant visas (U Visas), which are available to victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement in investigations or prosecutions.
Investigators alleged that Mitul Patel paid Rambhai Patel to pose as a victim during a staged armed robbery at a Worcester convenience store in October 2023.
During the fake robberies, an accomplice posing as the robber allegedly threatened store clerks with what appeared to be a firearm, stole cash from the register and fled the scene while surveillance cameras recorded the incident. The clerks reportedly waited several minutes before contacting police to report the fabricated crime.
Authorities said the participants paid Rambhai Patel to take part in the scheme, while he, in turn, compensated store owners for allowing their premises to be used.
The alleged mastermind, Rambhai Patel, along with the individual who acted as the robber and getaway driver Balwinder Singh, was previously convicted in May 2025.
